Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter (Divided: 2 tablespoons for the vegetables and 6 tablespoons for the cream mixture.)
• 2 cup yellow onion (Very finely diced; about 1 to 2 large onions.)
• 2 cup carrots (Peeled and very finely diced; about 5 to 7 carrots.)
• 1.333 cup celery (Very finely diced; about 4 to 5 ribs.)
• 1 tbsp garlic (Minced; about 4 cloves.)
• salt and pepper (To taste; the author adds about 1/2 teaspoon of each to the vegetables, with additional seasoning as needed.)
• 6 cup chicken stock or chicken broth (Use chicken broth or stock; the author likes Swanson. Four cups go into the soup and 2 cups go into the cream mixture.)
• 0.5 tsp dried thyme
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 0.5 tsp onion powder
• 0.5 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3 tsp chicken bouillon powder (Use 1 teaspoon in the soup and 2 teaspoons in the tortellini cooking water.)
• 1 bay leaf
• 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cup evaporated milk (12-ounce can.)
• 17 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini (Use 16–18 ounces; the author recommends good-quality fresh refrigerated tortellini, such as Rana.)
• 2.5 cup rotisserie chicken (Shredded and coarsely chopped into smaller bite-sized pieces; use 2–3 cups.)
• 12 cup water (For cooking the tortellini.)
• crusty bread (Warm and buttered, for serving.)

Steps

1. 1

   Very finely dice the onion, carrots, and celery. Mince the garlic.

2. 2

   Add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter to a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper to taste; the author uses about 1/2 teaspoon of each.

3. 3

   Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently, until they are very tender, about 12–15 minutes. Do not rush this step, since the vegetables will not soften much later and should not remain crunchy in the finished soup.

4. 4

   Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

5. 5

   Add the bay leaf and 4 cups of the chicken broth or stock. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil.

6. 6

   Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender. Stir occasionally and adjust the heat so the liquid is barely bubbling rather than rapidly boiling.

7. 7

   While the soup simmers, bring 12 cups of water to a boil in a separate pot. Season the water with the remaining 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder, or use salt instead.

8. 8

   Add the tortellini to the boiling, seasoned water and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Gently shake the tortellini every few minutes so the pieces do not stick together.

9. 9

   About 5 minutes before the soup finishes simmering, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter in a medium pot over medium heat.

10. 10

    Sprinkle the flour evenly over the melted butter and whisk briskly until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 full minute.

11. 11

    Very slowly pour the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth into the flour-and-butter mixture while whisking constantly. Once smooth, gradually pour in the evaporated milk while continuing to whisk.

12. 12

    Cook the cream mixture, stirring constantly, until noticeably thickened and smooth. Do not let it boil. Remove it from the heat and continue whisking until ready to add it to the soup so a film does not form on top.

13. 13

    While whisking the soup constantly, gradually pour in the cream mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally, until the soup is smooth and the broth has thickened nicely. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

14. 14

    Stir in the shredded chicken and cook for about 1 minute, just until warmed through. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

15. 15

    Divide the cooked tortellini among bowls, then ladle the soup over the top. Serve immediately with warm, buttered crusty bread.

16. 16

    For storage, keep the soup and tortellini separate so the pasta does not absorb the broth and become mushy.

Notes

Cook the tortellini separately because different varieties have different cooking times, and keeping it separate helps prevent mushiness in leftovers. Sauté the vegetables thoroughly and keep the evaporated-milk cream mixture from boiling so the soup remains smooth.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• soup
• comfort food
• one-pot
• family-friendly
• creamy
• chicken
• pasta